Digestive System Flashcards
What is digestion?
Physical and chemical disruption of food for absorption of nutrients
What are the 4 accessory organs to the digestive system?
Salivary glands, gall bladder, pancreas, liver
Name 6 things about saliva
1) Contains amylase and lipase
2) Bacteriostatic (IgA)
3) High calcium (protects teeth)
4) Alkaline
5) Assists swallowing
6) Protects the mouth
What are the four layers of gut wall? Which is the layer where arteries/veins/glands and nerves are found? What are the other layers made up of?
Mucosa
Sub mucosa
Muscular externae
Serosa
Mucosa - stratified squamous non-keratinised epithelium and lamina propria (CT)
Sub Mucosa is connective tissue where arteries/veins/glands and nerves are found
Muscular externae has 2 layers of smooth muscle - outer longitudinal, inner circular
Serosa made up of simple squamous epithelium and connective tissue
8 functions of the GI tract? (think from mouth down)
1) Entry of food
2) Disrupt food
3) Store food
4) Digest food
5) Kill pathogens
6) move food along
7) Absorb nutrients
8) Eliminate waste
What 5 groups of nutrients do we need to absorb?
Vitamins Minerals Fatty acids Amino Acids Sugars
What does saliva contain to make it bacteriostatic?
Immunoglobulin A antibody
What 2 enzymes does saliva contain
Lipase Amylase
How does a bolus get swallowed?
Initial voluntary muscle contraction of oesophagus, then involuntary, rapid peristaltic movement
Where is the fastest GI transport?
Entry exit - rest is comparatively low
What is oesophageal epithelium and why is it well suited?
Stratified squamous epithelium non keratinised - can withstand abrasion
Where do you find lamina propria in the body?
Mucosal areas - e.g. GI, Lung, GU
What is the lamina propria? What does it contain?
Thin layer of loose connective tissue or dense irregular connective tissue laying under the epithelium. This plus epithelium (+/- muscle) = mucosal membrane. Contains Peyer’s patches
How does mechanical and chemical disruption of food begin in the mouth?
Mastication
Amylase/lipase
What is a role of the muscularis externae layer of gut wall?
Peristalsis
How does the stomach aid physical and chemical digestion?
Physical - Churning - 3 muscle layers and rugae
Chemical - Add HCl and Pepsin
Why do we need the stomach to be a temporary food store?
Can eat faster than we can digest
How does the stomach not digest itself
Mucus
What is chyme? Is it Hypo or hypertonic?
acid, enzymes, partially digested food that has been agitated by stomach. It is hypertonic
What are the roles of HCl and Pepsin in the stomach?
Protein breakdown - pepsin
Disinfect food - HCl
What 5 cells are in a gastric gland in the stomach? What do they do?
Goblet like cells - secret mucus
Stem cells - regenerate
Parietal cells - secrete H+ into lumen and HCO3- into capillaries which move it to surface mucous cells
Chief cells - secrete pepsinogens –> pepsins
Enteroendocrine cells - secrete gastrin (hormone that stimulates acid secretion)
What are the roles of the duodenum (6)
Draw in water and neutralise chyme (isotonic) with bicarbonate rich mucus, absorb iron. Receives bile from gallbladder. Pancreas and liver secrete alkali to neutralise acidic chyme. Pancreas, liver and intestine secrete specific enzymes which act with bile to complete digestion of chyme.